[Music] Your first ever (proper) gig?

[NutterDave]

Bloody hell. That's going to take some beating.

Cast for me sometime in 1996. Brighton lost at home to someone or other. Maybe Bristol rovers? At least Cast were a win.

I reckon I was at that gig. In the East Wing supported by Heavy Stereo?
That was my 2nd ever gig.
Had a covid jab in the east wing last year and couldn't believe that the room used to be a gig venue. It looked so soulless like a prefab office.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I reckon I was at that gig. In the East Wing supported by Heavy Stereo?
That was my 2nd ever gig.
Had a covid jab in the east wing last year and couldn't believe that the room used to be a gig venue. It looked so soulless like a prefab office.

They were supported by the longpigs and a band called Mundy(I think).

 

[NutterDave]

They were supported by the longpigs and a band called Mundy(I think).

Ah, I was not at that one, although I'd have been happy too. I guess they came to brighton a couple of time at peak britpop

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Ah, I was not at that one, although I'd have been happy too. I guess they came to brighton a couple of time at peak britpop

Yeah, I'd imagine so. I'd guess a lot of bands toured non stop for those few years, there would have been a lot of money to be made.

 

[seagull_special]

Same. Ever since I was a 16 year old I have been gigging extensively and go to more gigs than ever 40 years on. In fact, I have just got home from a Mogwai gig.

This had been done before, but you added the “the one that also set you on the road” twist which is important.

First gig was Magnum at Eastbourne Winter Gardens. The one which sealed the deal was Queen at Wembley on the Kind of Magic tour. I loved that show and to a young boy from a the south coast it blew my mind. I have never looked back and seen all manner of bands and acts and festivals etc over the years. I probably reached a peak a couple of years ago when I did 40 plus shows including a memorable run of 9 gigs in 13 days.

That was my worst gig by a country mile. Their promotor chose a venue holding 5,500? for a smallish band, 1,000 rattling around in a poor acoustics cube.

What did I know! I was 14, first ever concert got to the front and had a great time. Ignited a lifelong love for live music.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

My first gig was in October 1977, aged 15, at the Cambridge Corn Exchange- Dr Feelgood supported by Mink Deville. Great fun, even though I have never been a big fan of the Feelgoods. It whetted my appetite.

I went to see AC/DC the following week, loud and powerful…but I remember finding them a bit silly. I have found it hard to take them (and other bands from the genre) seriously ever since.

A couple of weeks later I was back for The Clash. This changed everything, and I saw them countless times over the next five years.

By the end of 1977 I had also seen The Damned, The Jam, Boomtown Rats and The Ramones.

I still go to about 30 gigs a year, as well as several festivals, and have never tired of discovering new bands and new music.

Next up is Fat Dog on Friday (bad fan…)

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

My first ever gig was Madness doing an under 18s afternoon thing. It was a pound to get in and they had just released One Step Beyond. My mate persuaded me to go along with him and we were absolutely shit scared by the number of skinheads and National Front in the audience. Made no sense to us and we were glad to get home.
Proper gigging started around 1983 when I attended Brighton Polytechnic. Falmer, Moulescoomb and Grand Parade were all used for various bands. Most famously The Smiths as well as lesser known acts such as Farmers Boys, Bodines, Serious Drinking, Prefab Sprout, The Mighty Lemon Drops and of course The Fall.
We frequented The Basement every Friday night and The Big Twang mid week which was a brilliant Indie Club where sometimes as many as 4 bands would play in an evening. There I remember seeing The Wedding Present, 14 Iced Bears, June Brides, Primal Scream, The Shop Assistants, McCarthy and many many more.
There was also The Top Rank where The Pixies and House Of Love played. I remember not choosing to watch the support band for Elvis Costello at this venue and arriving after they had played. Turned out it was The Pogues.
Even The Centre had the odd gem. Siouxsie and The Banshees being a particularly good night with Robert Smith playing lead guitar.
I kind of wish I could recall every gig I’ve been too. Most have been in Brighton and most have been great nights out.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

May 1974 as 14 year old I went on a school trip to see The Kinks record a BBC In Concert in Golders Green. The fist song was Victoria and they buggered it up 2 or 3 times before getting it right!

Although I can't embed it I've just discovered it on Facebook Kinks In Concert

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

My first gig was in October 1977, aged 15, at the Cambridge Corn Exchange- Dr Feelgood supported by Mink Deville. Great fun, even though I have never been a big fan of the Feelgoods. It whetted my appetite.

I went to see AC/DC the following week, loud and powerful…but I remember finding them a bit silly. I have found it hard to take them (and other bands from the genre) seriously ever since.

A couple of weeks later I was back for The Clash. This changed everything, and I saw them countless times over the next five years.

By the end of 1977 I had also seen The Damned, The Jam, Boomtown Rats and The Ramones.

I still go to about 30 gigs a year, as well as several festivals, and have never tired of discovering new bands and new music.

Next up is Fat Dog on Friday (bad fan…)

Fat Dog!! Fat Dog who allegedly shat on the green room floor at Resident Records because they are Palace fans as revenge for poogate? Yes you are a bad fan...

 

[Weststander]

My first ever gig was Madness doing an under 18s afternoon thing. It was a pound to get in and they had just released One Step Beyond. My mate persuaded me to go along with him and we were absolutely shit scared by the number of skinheads and National Front in the audience. Made no sense to us and we were glad to get home.
Proper gigging started around 1983 when I attended Brighton Polytechnic. Falmer, Moulescoomb and Grand Parade were all used for various bands. Most famously The Smiths as well as lesser known acts such as Farmers Boys, Bodines, Serious Drinking, Prefab Sprout, The Mighty Lemon Drops and of course The Fall.
We frequented The Basement every Friday night and The Big Twang mid week which was a brilliant Indie Club where sometimes as many as 4 bands would play in an evening. There I remember seeing The Wedding Present, 14 Iced Bears, June Brides, Primal Scream, The Shop Assistants, McCarthy and many many more.
There was also The Top Rank where The Pixies and House Of Love played. I remember not choosing to watch the support band for Elvis Costello at this venue and arriving after they had played. Turned out it was The Pogues.
Even The Centre had the odd gem. Siouxsie and The Banshees being a particularly good night with Robert Smith playing lead guitar.
I kind of wish I could recall every gig I’ve been too. Most have been in Brighton and most have been great nights out.

That was a great gig, on a Friday or Saturday.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Fat Dog!! Fat Dog who allegedly shat on the green room floor at Resident Records because they are Palace fans as revenge for poogate? Yes you are a bad fan...

Oh dear.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

That was a great gig, on a Friday or Saturday.

 

[Miximate]

Rory Gallagher Brighton Dome mid to late 70s. Ears ringing for about 3 days after.

 

[Seagull Stew]

Yes, I saw them a few times around then, they were relentless, no breaks between songs. Exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.
Pretty sure I saw The Sugarcubes around then too which was great.

I saw Sugarcubes at Brixton academy. I think same year, maybe 1990.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Kooks, supported by The Automatic @ The Concorde 2. Hazy on the year - maybe 2006?

13 Feb 2006 mate. setlist.fm is your friend, just put the band name and town into the search. This website has helped me a lot with compiling my list. Been wanting to do this for many years just for my own fun and appreciation of some fecking great nights and festivals.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Saw Starsailor at the Brighton Dome in 2003, supported by Electric Soft Parade and first on the bill was a little known band called Keane, always worth getting there for the support bands.

I was at this one, Radio One Live. The Dome also had The Killers, Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs & Bloc Party on one night for the NME Awards, quite good value that one too.

 

[bobbysmith01]

The WHO, Worthing Assembly Rooms, 1974? Bloody awesome and loud. Saw Bowie there a year or 2 later, not a bad start to my musical youth.

 

[herecomesaregular]

ast alw

Bloody hell. That's going to take some beating.

Cast for me sometime in 1996. Brighton lost at home to someone or other. Maybe Bristol rovers? At least Cast were a win.

Cast are forever linked to us losing in Euro 96 when the BBC played Walk Away at the end of the game and a bunch of us watching at my friend's house were welling up..

 

[herecomesaregular]

Je

The Pretenders (original line-up) at Malvern Winter Gardens in 1981* - a home town gig for most of the band, who were from Herefordshire.

Still have the ticket:

View attachment 196573

*Unless you count English folk band The Spinners at the Dome in 1970-something with my dad!

JesusH you've just reminded me that my parents took me to this as a 6 year old (1978). So, officially my first gig. Interestingly, they did a version of Dirty Old Town (obviously famously covered by the Pogues) I used to like.

 

[North of Robertsbridge]

What was your first gig or the one that also set you on the road to many beautiful live moments? Live music has been a massive part of my life.

Great thread, chap